The number of children having the triple jab has risen slightly

Across all ages, mumps increased almost twenty-fold from 181 cases in 2003 to 3,595 in 2004. Almost three-quarters of cases related to 15-24 year olds.

Provisional figures revealed that 3,774 notifications of mumps were received in the first six months of 2005.

Mumps in the under 15s increased five-fold from 94 to 442. Measles cases in children rose by 59 to 231 and rubella almost doubled to 204.

The number of children being immunised with the vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) has risen slightly since hitting a low of 86% in 2003.

The drop followed claims of a link between the combined MMR jab and autism. Research that led to those claims has now been widely discredited.

Almost nine out of 10 parents are accepting MMR immunisation in order to protect their children from these three potentially serious diseases Scottish Executive spokeswoman

The Scottish health statistics also revealed that notifications of chicken pox in children increased 8% to 18,489 in 2004.

Tuberculosis (Tb) notifications for 2004 showed a small increase from 422 to 463 cases.

There were 6,804 cases of food poisoning in 2004, similar to the previous year.

Confirmed notifications of meningococcal infection, which have been falling since 1999, increased by 30 to 147 in 2004.

Viral hepatitis notifications decreased to 1,063.

The Scottish Executive said there has now been an increase in the uptake of the MMR vaccine.

A spokeswoman said: "This is a positive sign and testament to the efforts of health professionals and parents in ensuring children are protected against the risks these diseases pose.